This invention relates generally to traffic delineators, and more particularly to a traffic delineator comprising a blow-molded plastic cylinder and base that includes a centrally located grip.
The development of plastic traffic delineators, such as plastic cylinders, cones and barrels, for directing and channeling traffic flows has significantly increased the safety of automotive transportation. If a wood or metal delineator is struck by an automobile, the occupants may be seriously injured and the automobile seriously damaged. If a car being channeled by a line of plastic cylindrical delineators strikes one of the plastic cylinders, the lightweight, collapsible delineator causes little damage to the vehicle, which reduces the risk of injury to the vehicle occupants. Plastic cylinders are also sufficiently resilient to withstand numerous hits from vehicles and not show significant wear.
Plastic cylindrical traffic delineators have many advantages, including relative ease of manufacturing, light weight, and easy storage because the cylinders have a relatively narrow diameter and thus do not require significant space. The cylindrical delineators may be made of numerous colors, but a bright "florescent" orange has become common. Such coloration makes the cylinders more easily seen, day or night and in good or bad weather, than other colors.
For ease of manufacture and use, cylindrical delineators are often made in two pieces, an upper cylinder over which a drop down base is placed. The cylinder is usually a light-weight structure having a thin, plastic wall. The drop down base may be made of lightweight plastic, but is often made of heavy rubber. Sandbags or other ballasting materials may be used to increase the weight of the base and cylinder combination.
Recently, manufacturers have included handles on the top of the cylindrical delineators to make it easier to move the delineators. One such handle is that on the cylindrical delineator being sold by Bent Manufacturing company of Huntington Beach, Calif. That handle has a modified "T" shape, with the upper surface of the handle having an arcuate curvature to fit into human hands. Another cylindrical delineator having a handle on top is depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,791 to Thurston. That patent depicts two handles, one being of a generally "T" shape and the other having an inverted "U" shape. Yet another cylindrical delineator handle is that on the delineator being sold by Traffix Devices, Inc. of San Clemente, Calif. That handle is merely a reduction in the diameter of the cylinder, and then an abrupt enlargement of the diameter on the very top end of the cylinder, to form what may be termed as a "baseball bat" handle.
It is often necessary or useful to move the delineator. The cylinder and base delineator is usually relatively heavy, so that wind or minor impacts with vehicles do not knock the delineator over, and is also cumbersome, due to the dimensions of the cylinder and base. Thus, re-positioning a cylinder and base a short distance may require workers to lift the heavy, cumbersome cylinder and base combination.
Although the handle helps significantly, the placement of the handle causes problems. Existing handles formed on the top end of the cylinder may be useful for grabbing a delineator from the bed of a truck and moving it a short distance, or even up unto the truck. However, the cylinders may be 42 inches or more in height, and so a worker on the ground next to a delineator often has a difficult time carrying the delineator. Pulling the cylinder off the base can be time-consuming, and so if the cylinder and base are only to be moved a short distance, the worker does not usually want to pull the cylinder off the base. As a result, workers have been required to drag the delineator using the top handle, get assistance from another person, risk injury, or take the time to uncouple the base and cylinder just to move the delineator a short distance.